Date of Award

5-1955

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to analyze a community of predominantly light-skinned Catholic Negroes as members of the parochial organization of Corpus Christi Catholic Negro Parish. Utilizing both the socio-historical and institutional approaches to the study of community, the objectives of the study were: (1) to present a history of the parish since its establishment in 1916; (2) to define the social organization of the parish; (3) to present a general view of the involvements of the parish membership in the familial, educational, economic, political, and recreational institutions; (4) to indicate-the-attitudes of each interviewee concerning residence and race; and (5) to indicate the implications rising out of such a study.

The evidence presented suggests that Corpus Christi is a fairly well-functioning Catholic parish having adequate means to realize its most important goal: the spiritual direction of its membership. The main conclusions of the study, are: (1) the people of Corpus Christi are generally of light skin, this factor exerting an influence upon the many phases of each member's life situation; (2) economically, the Corpus Christi membership is, roughly, of the middle class category; (3) these people are uncertain of their position, especially as Negroes; and (4) the two most problematic situations in parochial activity are the lack of priests to staff the parish and leakage from the parish.

DOI

10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.8301

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